Local News

Marion County Jailer Barry Brady said things are starting to improve financially at the Marion County Detention Center.
"Looking at our stats from seven months ago, it's a significant change," Brady told the Marion County Fiscal Court during its April 10 meeting.
In August, the detention center housed an average of 247 inmates per day, and the county received nearly $204,000 for housing state prisoners. Last month, the detention center housed an average of 290 inmates and received nearly $261,000 in revenue from the state.

Pepsi's warehouse in Lebanon is expected to close by the end of May.
Gina Anderson, a spokesperson for Pepsi, confirmed that the company plans to close the local warehouse by the end of next month.
In a written statement, Anderson noted that the work at the Lebanon warehouse will be moved to other Pepsi facilities.
"Nearly all affected employees will be offered other positions within the company in the area and we’re committed to providing support to any remaining affected employees by offering outplacement services," Anderson wrote.

An audit report released Thursday by the Marion County Board of Education shows sloppy accounting practices at Marion County High School.
“In my opinion, this is the worst bookkeeping I’ve seen anywhere,” Board Chairman Michael Mullins said. “I can’t believe we are keeping books like this in the school system.”
There was no indication that any money was missing, Mullins said. But, the bookkeeping at MCHS, in particular, was a mess and it’s the board’s responsibility to make sure taxpayers funds are spent correctly, he said.

On Aug. 13, 2013, this Board unanimously approved retention of an independent auditor to conduct an in-depth analysis of the activity funds of the Marion County School system for the years 2011 through the 2013 school year. In that regard, the firm of White and Company. P.S.C., Certified Public Accountants, was retained to conduct that review and analysis.

State Rep. Terry Mills doesn't have any opposition in the Democratic primary election. But he will have a challenger in November for the 24th District seat, which now includes Green, LaRue and Marion counties.
J. Alex LaRue of Hodgenville and Richard Treitz of Green County are vying for the Republican nomination in the May 20 primary election. A third Republican candidate, Amber Rogers Dones of Hodgenville, has withdrawn from the race.
Both LaRue and Treitz believe that something needs to change in Kentucky.

Marion County residents are no strangers to fame.
Local people have been in feature films, television shows and recognized on professional sporting fields.
In May, the county will send a very special resident to Philadelphia. Joan Wood will be recognized at Citizens Bank Park during the Philadelphia Phillies Educator Appreciation Day. Wood has been teaching for more than 40 years and has taught in Marion County for the last eight of them. Before then, she spent time at schools in Richmond and Georgetown in Kentucky and in Illinois.

The Marion County Public Library hosted a gathering of local authors for Writers Day celebration on Sunday. Authors donated 20 percent of their sales at the event to the Marion County Friends of the Library.

Some of the horse skeletons on Larry Browning's Pendleton County farm were found still wearing halters. Some were so starved their ribs showed through their skin.
There was very little hay for the horses to eat, some of it in pools of water along with horse carcasses, county animal control officials said.
Browning told them he planned to sell all the horses, either to private owners or to slaughterhouses outside of the country, by May.